Folkestone Murder, The

DESCRIPTION: (Switzerland John) asks Caroline to walk with him. Her mother tells her she should take her sister Maria along. He stabs both girls and cuts their names into the turf. The murderer is taken and sentenced to death; in the last verse he bids farewell
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1905 (Gardiner ms.)
LONG DESCRIPTION: (Switzerland John) asks Caroline of Dover to walk with him to Shorncliffe Camp; she agrees, but her mother tells her it's not fit for them to walk alone, and that she should take her sister Maria along. They go, but before they reach Folkestone he stabs both girls to death despite their entreaties for mercy and cuts their names into the turf. Their parents grieve; the murderer is taken and sentenced to death; in the last verse he bids farewell, tells others to take warning, and hopes to meet Caroline in heaven
KEYWORDS: grief courting violence warning crime execution homicide punishment death gallows-confession family
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
August 3, 1856 - Caroline and Maria Beck murdered in Folkestone
January 1, 1857 - Tedea (Dedea?) Redanies hanged for the crime
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South)) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "FOLKESTONE MURDER, THE"
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 320, "The Folkestone Murder" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenleaf/Mansfield-BalladsAndSeaSongsOfNewfoundland 61, "Maria and Caroline" (1 text)
Leach-FolkBalladsSongsOfLowerLabradorCoast 11, "Mary and Sweet Caroline" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #897
NOTES [29 words]: Although the song is not properly a gallows-confession, the last verse is (it seems tacked on, and is similar to the warnings found at the end of many songs of this type). - PJS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: K320

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